Whitewater

by Light755

Demons

A week later, Steam Punk sat on the same barstool, leaning forwards to slump on the table. His face laid between his hooves, staring gloomily at the bartender before him.

"—I'm sure she'll be back someday. I've seen her around these parts quite often," said the bartender, pouring another drink.

"You're probably right." Steam looked up, enthralled by the finesse with which he completed his task. "I was stupid to think it was anything more."

"Yeah, you were," the other stallion responded as he finished pouring a second glass. "Whitewater is a town for adventure, why don't you just go find somepony else?"

There was nopony else though. Steam wasn't here for lust, he wanted to experience something real. Unfortunately, during the week of his stay he'd only found that the place was more superficial than he'd originally thought, if that was even possible. There was no commitment, no love, nothing real at all. It was a place for ponies to come and blow off steam; a place for them to be somepony else for a while, and live their wildest fantasies.

Steam shuddered, remembering the heated orgies that were taking place in the more risqué establishments. Ponies were dressed up in erotic lingerie, groping at him invasively as he passed by. It was one of the most unpleasant experiences of his life, and he vowed never to return again.

Truth be told, a whole host of strange things stood out to him in his search for Starlight Glimmer. It all started when he tracked down her address from some of the locals. The beachhouse he was led to was occupied by a pony he'd never seen before, and she had no idea who Starlight Glimmer was. His next clue was from a conversation he overheard, where ponies were discussing 'timeslots' for coordinating events. He remembered Starlight herself saying something about running out of time, and it seemed like everypony was on some sort of schedule.

Well, that was everypony except for him. Sighing, Steam downed his drink and stood up. "I've never met anypony like her."

"That's what they all say," the bartender responded with a light chuckle. "Trust me, she's trouble. You don't want anything to do with that mare."

He wanted to believe it. He wanted to move on, but something just tethered his mind to her memory. There was no escaping the way it felt when her eyes stared into his, or how her touch sent shivers down his spine. Perhaps it had been a dream this whole time?

---

Steam felt a warm breeze batter his face as he exited the establishment. Turning his head to the left, the giant full moon caught his attention. It was bold and bright; Luna had really outdone herself tonight. Sighing, he continued down the sidewalk towards the hotel.

"—Feels like deja-vu a little bit, huh?"

Steam's eyes widened and his muscles seized up. A familiar tingling feeling darted through his chest, caressing his heart as a familiar mare brushed up against his left side.

His eyes flitted to the left, where Starlight's eyes stared straight back, mere inches away. "Y... You."

She kissed his cheek, but this time Steam recoiled and stumbled back a few paces. "What's wrong?" asked Starlight, a hoof held over her mouth.

He wouldn't do this to himself, not again. He'd spent the last week chasing a ghost, and just like that she'd been the one to get the drop on him. She was wrong, an aberration, and he wouldn't let her fill his fragile heart with hope again.

"J... Just leave me alone," Steam said, averting his eyes to avoid her penetrative gaze. "You were the one who said you were looking for something real, and then you dropped me like an old carton of milk—just like that."

"—I didn't mean to!" Starlight interjected, rushing to his side. "I had to go, work was tough this week, and I'm sorry for that. I came back to Whitewater as soon as I could, and every moment I've spent here tonight was looking for you."

Steam looked up, and her sparkling eyes immediately held him prisoner in his own body. There was no escaping now. "Y... You mean it?"

Starlight smiled. "Come on silly, the night's still young, we'll have longer this time around."

She grabbed his arm and led him through the bustling Whitewater nightscape. It was busier in the early evening, with most ponies arriving at the party venues for the night. Ponies were mostly sober at this time though, and things wouldn't start getting too insane until later on.

Through the wild streets they dashed. Past antique stores and ice cream parlors; past movie theaters and clubs. All the while interlocking hooves as Starlight led Steam through the night.

At last they arrived at a break in the metropolis—a park. It was small, but charming. Scarcely a few trees surrounded a pond, with benches scattered along the winding path that led through the greenery. The pair sat by the pond, reflecting their long shadows cast by the supermoon behind them.

Once they were settled, Starlight leaned into Steam's shoulder, causing him to recoil slightly from the unexpected weight.

"I know you don't like parties, so I thought to bring you here instead."

Steam looked around, taking in all the beauty from the scene around him. Slowly, he wrapped his arm around the mare and pulled her close. "I like it. So beautiful."

It really was ideal. Far from the crowds and the noise with a beautiful mare at his side, Steam felt at home. A feeling of dread came over him when he remembered what happened last time. Maybe if he just held her tight she wouldn't have to leave. They could stay there forever.

"So why did you come to Whitewater?" asked Steam.

After a brief pause, Starlight sighed and slumped a little. "It's just a place I come to escape my past for a little while. I used to be a terrible pony, and I've never been able to get over it."

Steam turned slightly and planted a kiss on her forehead. Her mane was soft and smelled of cherries. "Whatever pony you used to be, all I care about is the pony you are now."

Starlight laughed and bit her lip. "You'd hate me if you knew."

"Then tell me," he replied, turning to face her in an attempt to show his sincerity. "I promise nothing you say will change the opinion I have of you now."

There was little she could say that could surprise him after what he'd seen in Whitewater that week. His mind wandered with ideas of what she might say, but he wrestled those thoughts to focus on the pony in front of him. Unless she was some sort of serial killer, he was sure he could handle it.

"Promise?" Starlight looked up, tears in her eyes.

"Promise."

He allowed her a few moments to compose herself, and eventually she told him everything. She told him how she'd brainwashed an entire village into giving up their cutie marks, replacing them with an equal sign as a representation of their sameness. Sameness was the only way that ponies could be equal, because special talents could only drive them apart. Life was peaceful and fine, until Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends swooped in to save the day.

She told him how later that year she perfected an ancient spell to go into the past and get revenge against the princess. With the power to bend time, Starlight had shattered the event that brought all their friends together—but started a terrible butterfly effect in the process. Twilight's friends were so important to the future of Equestria, but Starlight just couldn't understand why.

That was, until, Twilight Sparkle decided to take Starlight under her wing. Under the princess, Starlight had all sorts of adventures to learn about the magic of friendship, and slowly began to see the error in her ways. It was embarrassing at first, being forced to make friends with the very ponies she'd tried to tear apart, but they were understanding and gave her a chance she didn't deserve.

"So what happened next?" asked Steam, a respectful time later after she'd finished her story.

Starlight was almost crying now, detached and sitting alone by the waterside. "N... Next? Twilight and I are still friends, but I haven't seen the others in years. I come to Whitewater as often as I can. It's a place where I can forget who I used to be, even for a little while..."

Steam bit the tip of his tongue as her emotion washed over him like a torrential rainstorm. That was his special talent after all, as reflected by his cutie mark—a white speech bubble in the shape of a cogwheel. It symbolized his affinity to understanding ponies, and empathising their emotions. Once upon a time he'd been a therapist, but even after taking a moment to think about it he couldn't really remember much about his life before Whitewater.

"S... Sorry. I don't know what I'm doing anymore. This was a mistake." Starlight jumped to her feet and hurriedly made her way out.

"No, wait!" Steam called, shocking his limbs their abrupt motion. He darted after her out of the park and onto the street, but she stopped just as suddenly as she had taken off. He'd been through too much trouble to let her run away now, especially after she'd just told him her 'dark' secret. If nothing else, he was pretty good at making ponies feel better, and if there ever was a time for him to use his talent it was now.

When she turned around, Steam could see black lines down her face from where tears had spoiled her make up. She sobbed, staring at the cobbled ground, unable to make eye contact. "I was never good enough for anyone, why did I think this time would be different?"

Stepping forwards, Steam extended a hoof, but they were too far away to touch. He was an outlier, a humble passer-by in this world of illusion. She was crying harder now, causing his empathetic chest to wrench into a knot. He was growing sick of his own heartbeat.

"Starlight, I—"

"Don't say it!" She screamed, her shrill voice penetrating the peaceful air. "I'm sick of ponies pitying me, like I'm some injured animal in need of saving."

"That's not what—"

"That's just it though, Steam," Starlight continued, voice straining. "My life is a lost cause, nopony actually cares. Ponies only care about themselves. I'm sick of being somepony's wish fulfillment or sex-toy—"

"Starlight, listen!" Steam had to yell to get her attention. She looked back at him, eyes softening, before he continued, "I'm telling you I want to love you, just let me."

Steam moved in closer to where Starlight was crying in a crumpled mess on the floor. He sat down besides her and put his arm around her, pulling her head over his lap. Even though the rough ground scraped his soft fur he hardly noticed, for all he could focus on was comforting the troubled mare before him.

It was what he was good at—the only thing he was good at. Softly, he ran his hooves through her mane, gently caressing and massaging the back of her neck. She was tense, but after a while she began to relax and stop sobbing.

"Why are you doing this?" Starlight asked, extending her head further across his lap in an attempt to get more comfortable. "Stallions usually run for the hills the moment they learn about my emotional baggage. Nopony wants to deal with that."

Steam massaged around her ears earning a small shudder from the mare, although she did not recoil. "I guess I was looking for something real, just like you. Nopony is perfect, and our imperfections are what make us authentic. Look around you, these ponies live in a perpetual state of laughter and fun, but do you truly think a single one of them is happy."

Starlight paused for a moment while she turned her neck for him to massage a different part of her. "N... No I guess not."

"They're not happy, because lust is only a primal desire—something only a savage beast would feel satisfied with. We're ponies, we need something more. Whatever that may be for others, I don't know, but what it is for me right now is this one beautiful mare before me. We haven't known each other long, but I believe that given a chance we could make something beautiful together, something worthy of this paradise world," said Steam, exhaling deeply after he was done.

Rolling onto her back, Starlight cracked a weak smile and playfully bopped him on the nose with her hoof. "I really don't deserve you."

"Who's to say who deserves what in this life? We take what we're given and make the most of it, because before we know it we'll find ourselves on our deathbed, looking back on a lonely life with regret." Steam pushed her bangs away from her face, and gently stroked the base of her horn. She blushed, and raised her hooves to her mouth in an effort to conceal it.

"Oh my Celestia, you're so smooth, you know that. I get wet just hearing you talk," Starlight replied, giggling softly as she grabbed Steam's hoof in her own.

Now it was his turn to blush, and with his arms being held there was no way to conceal it. This was the point where he should invite her to his home, and with a sudden surge of confidence he found the ability to do so. "Want to come back to my place?"

Starlight didn't respond, but her body language spoke for itself.

---

"I know it's not much," Steam said, magically inserting the key into the lock and pushing the wooden door open. After fumbling in the dark for a moment, he lit his horn, revealing the location of several candles on the table. With a soft blow, he flicked several embers into the candles, lighting up the room in a warm, inviting glow.

Starlight followed closely into the cramped space, looking around with judgemental eyes. "Not much? It's literally just a bed in a closet."

It wasn't exactly the best room, but without a single bit in his pocket it was all he could get. The strange thing was that the secretary didn't even ask him to pay when he asked for rooms. Perhaps nopony would take this room anyway so they just gave it away for free. Either way, he didn't spend too much time dwelling on the specifics.

Steam laughed, taking Starlight by the hoof and leading her to the aforementioned bed. It was soft and queen-sized, with memory foam for extra comfortableness. Falling back side by side, the two laid as close as possible, the mare leaning on the stallion's chest. Steam hadn't really thought everything through. Now the divinely beautiful mare was in his humble bed, and he had no idea how to proceed.

"You've never had sex before, have you?" Starlight giggled as she seemed to read his mind. She tended to do that quite often, and it was really beginning to get annoying at this point. Truth be told, he couldn't exactly remember if he'd had sex or not, but given his recent success with females it was a possibility.

Steam looked away, cheeks flaring up once again. "Um, well. How did you know? I mean—"

"—Relax!" interrupted Starlight, placing a hoof seductively over his mouth as she rolled over in the bed and stood up. "It's fine, I'll lead you through it and we can just take it slow."

In one fluid motion, Starlight straddled the flustered stallion, brushing her body softly against is as she moved in for a kiss. Steam felt the familiar feeling of absolute bliss as her tongue penetrated his lips, diving deep into the back of his mouth. After a moment their tongues intertwined, sending shivers down Steam's spine. Slowly he reached for her back and pulled her in closer, and he lightly caressed her back as they made out under the moonlight.

Steam felt himself rising beneath her. It was awkward and embarrassing, and he reached a hoof to cull his unruly body part. Starlight wasn't having any of it though, and pinned his hoof to the bed with one of her own, all the while groping her belly against him.

He felt his face turning red, and was thankful she couldn't see him while she was plunging her tongue ever deeper into the cavernous expanse of his mouth.

"Mmm." Starlight licked her lips and disengaged, all the while staring him straight in the eye. "Now's the fun part, are you ready?"

Steam bit his lip, nervously staring back at her big, blue eyes. "I... I guess..."

---

Morning light pierced through the window, casting the whole room in a sweet orange glow. Steam groggily opened his eyes, staring out at the beautiful expanse of sea beyond. Whitewater was much nicer during the day, and he hoped to take Starlight by the beach that afternoon.

Starlight.

Steam panicked, spinning his torso around to check the other side of the bed. She wasn't there. It wasn't time to panic yet though, she might be getting dressed or something around the corner by the door. Springing to his feet, Steam jumped off the bed and checked every inch of his room. It was no use though, she was gone.

Again.

Author's Note:

New cover art!